Dear Literacy Network family,
Because you have been so important to our work together and my development as a leader, I want to share this news with you directly. I have decided that the time to open the door for others to lead Literacy Network has come. I am resigning my position, and my last day as executive director will be December 16, 2022.
It has been an incredible honor to see the many accomplishments our students have achieved in the last 14 years.
I am confident that Literacy Network is ready for its next period of growth because our success has come by a persistent focus on the goals of our students. The level of passion, talent, and commitment at Literacy Network is astounding – our staff and volunteers show a daily dedication to helping students reach their goals.
Our board and staff have worked together to develop a transition plan. I am ready to help the organization with whatever it needs to make this transition as smooth as possible. I will continue to increase our connection to students, and to support the next generation of leaders at Literacy Network. I will still be available to answer any questions that arise even after my departure. My hope is that this might provide sufficient time to recruit and hire a new executive director and for me to support their training as needed.
Together, we’ve deepened our support of students. Our team regularly asks students what they want to accomplish and uses their feedback to direct our work. Taking their lead, we expanded our student services, citizenship programs, support for transitions to higher education, high school completion programs, refugee English classes, and many other program areas. We’ve deepened partnerships with other social service agencies, educational institutions, libraries, community centers, and workplaces.
I am ever grateful to the thousands of people who have supported us as volunteers and donors over the years – some for more years than I’ve been here! You make this work possible in a very tangible way. I hope to connect with you soon and thank you personally for your support of adults working toward their goals and making our community stronger.
In the next five months, I’ll continue to build support for our programs and put plans in place for Literacy Network’s future. There is a lot of exciting work ahead, and I am eager to see it come to fruition as Literacy Network evolves in this ever-changing world.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or comments. Thank you so much for your loyal support of our students.
Sincerely,
Jeff Burkhart
Executive Director
jeff@litnetwork.org | 608-244-3911